Track-support for overhead cranes



H. M. LANE.

TRACK SUPPORT FOR OVERHEAD CRANES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1?, 1919.

1 32,627. Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

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H. M. LANE.

TRACK SUPPORT FOR OVERHEAD CRANES.

- APPLICATION FILED APR.17, 919- l,332,627. Patented Mar. 2,1920.

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HENRY M. LANE,-OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TRACK-SUPPORT FOR OVERHEAD GRAN ES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Application filed April 17, 1919. Serial No. 290,854.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY M. LANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of I Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Track-Supports for Overhead Cranes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in track supports for overhead cranes and it comprises an overhead railway consisting of vertical supporting members, horizontal members secured to said vertical members, track supporting means carried by said" horizontal members and bracing means secured to said horizontal members and to saidvertical members; and more specifically the invention consists of a foundry building or other structure having vertical supporting members to support the roof and the side walls and a plurality of horizontal members secured to said vertical supporting. members, diagonal bracing means secured to the vertical supporting members and to the horizontal members and a second set of horizontal members arranged atright angles to the first mentioned horizontal members and forming a support for a rail, in combination with a underslung crane having a bridge extending substantially to the vertical members; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

In the present method of constructing.

great strain upon these supporting members and it is necessary to construct them of very heavy material. to withstand-such strains. In the usual layout of foundries, the build.- ing is divided intov spaces termed bays. A crane is arranged in each bay and travels from end to end. Thecrane' carries a-trolley which may be moved on the bridge of the crane across the bay, but no means are provided for transferring a trolley from one bay to another.

In the present invention I have produced a method of constructing foundries and buildings of this character wherein the overhead tracks for the crane are indirectly supported from the vertical supporting members by a truss brace or the like thereby reducing the strain upon the vertical 1nem bers. In a construction of this character much lighter material may be employed in the vertical members reducing the cost of construction. In the present invention I also provide means for transferring a trolley from the trrveling bridge of one crane to the bridge of the crane in the next bay permitting the trolley to be run to any point within the building.

In the present construction I employ a crane of the underslung type traveling on tracks supported on a horizontal runway. The track runway or support is positioned at considerable distance from the vertical columns which form the roof support of the building. This permits the framing'in of a brace structure between said vertical columns and crane runway carrying the load to a panel point in a truss brace arranged above the track support. I also employ a vertical latticedbrace structure to bring the strains from the track or runway into the vertical column through a series of closed triangles so as to eliminate serious turning or bending movement in the column.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown an advantageous embodiment of this invention.

Figure l is an end elevation of a foundry or other building consisting of three bays;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed View, partly in section and taken in the same plane as Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings the reference numeral 1 designates the vertical support-- ing members or columns which support the roof 2 of the building. Suitably arranged upon the columns is a series of channel irons to which are secured the transverse horizontal members 4. The transverse members form a support for longitudinal members 5 which support the tracks 6. Suitable bracing means are provided for distributing the load and supporting the horizontal members. ing means consists of a truss comprising horizontal members 7 arranged above the members vertical members 8 and diagonal' bracingv members 9. The bracing members are arranged between the supporting columns and the track and similar bracing means are arranged above the track consisting of horizontal members 10 ex- As shown. the bractending from one column to the next column, vertical members 11 arranged between horizontal members (10) and the roof and diagonal members 12.

The crane consists of an axle 13, wheels 14 and brackets 15. The brackets carry the bridge 16 which is arranged below the tracks, and, as shown, extends beyond the plane of the wheels and substantially to the vertical columns. Trolley 17 travels on the bridge and carries the load 18. The trolley may be power operated or hand operate The means for transferring a trolley from-one bay to another consists of a cross over rail 19 arranged in the same horizontal plane with the traveling bridges of the cranes. A trolley may be transferred from one ba t0 the next by alining the traveling br dges with the crossover rail and running the trolley over the cross over rail into the adjacent bay.

' In Fig. 3 of the drawings I have shown bracing means arranged in a horizontal planebetween a pair of adjacent transverse horizontal members (4:). As shown, the bracing means consists of a pair of diagonally arranged rods 20 secured to the opposite ends of the members 4. The rods may be threaded (not shown) to permit adjustment.

In the present construction I have produced a means for supporting overhead rails for cranes wherein the tracks are spaced from the vertical columns and sup-.

ported by suitable panel bracing. It is evident that such a construction produces a rail supporting means in which the strain upon the vertical columns is materially lessened and therefore permits the use of lighter materials in the construction of the vertical columns.

What I claim is:

1-. In combination with a building construction comprising a roof and side walls,

and vertical supporting members for said ried to a panel point in the truss above and thence distributed to the vertical columns.

2. In combination with. a building construction comprising a roof and side walls,

and vertical supporting members for said roof and side walls, of an overhead railway comprising a horizontal runway for the track, said horizontal runway being located at a distance from said vertical supporting and'vertical supporting members for said roof and side walls, of an overhead rallway comprising a horizontal runway for the track, sa1d horizontal runway being located at a distance from said vertical supporting 1 members, bracing means arranged between the horizontal runway and said vertical supporting members, and a truss brace arranged above said track runway between each pair of vertical supporting members, a framed bracing structure arranged beneath the truss between the track runway and the vertical supporting members, the track runway being supported from said truss, and the load distributed by said framed brace structure to said vertical columns.

4:. In combination with a building construction comprising a roof and side walls, vertical supporting members for said roof and side walls, of an overhead railway comprising horizontal beams spaced and supported from said vertical supporting members, track supporting means carried by said horizontal members, bracing means arranged between said vertical supporting members and said horizontal beams, a track arranged upon said horizontal members, supporting means and an overhead crane adapted to travel on said track.

5. An overhead railway system comprising two or more sets of parallel tracks, traveling cranes arranged to travel on said tracks, each of said cranes being provided with a traveling bridge to permit a trolley to be carried by said crane, and cross-over rails arranged between said sets of tracks whereby said. traveling bridges may be alined with the cross-over railand the'trolley transferred from one crane to another.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereto.

HENRY M. LANE. 

